Apartment managers: ‘Nobody will be homeless’

Residents are still upset that they are being forced to move from their homes at the Casa De Sonoma Apartments, but Sonoma Management has been trying to ease the transition and help them find new places to live.

“We’re trying to work with everyone,” said Kimberly Buchanan, of Sonoma Management, the agency that manages the Casa De Sonoma apartments. “We don’t have control over the supply of available rental housing in the Sonoma Valley area, but nobody needs to worry they will be kicked out.”

In early October, Casa de Sonoma Apartments on First Street West, was sold to a firm known as Sonoma Villas LLC. Within weeks, residents were served with letters taped to their doors, informing them they had to vacate their apartments.

“Notice is hereby given that the tenancy under which you occupy the premises … is terminated,” read the rental termination letters. All of the residents said they were never issued any warnings or reason for the terminations of their rental agreements.

Sonoma Management says the complex needs extensive renovation, requiring all the residents to leave. But the management company admits that the new apartments will be rented out at higher rates than are currently being paid, and none of the residents will be allowed to move back into their old apartments once the renovations are completed. Since their abrupt notices to vacate, residents complained to the company, and the company seems to have backed-off from its previous insistences that all the tenants had to be out of the complex.

Kim Orellana, who suffers from multiple sclerosis and diabetes, is wheelchair bound. She said Sonoma Management had contacted her, and provided a list of new apartments. Her rental agreement has been extended until she secures a new place for herself and her 18-year-old daughter Alicia. “The management company gave us our $1,000 deposit back and then they also gave us another $500 to help us move,” said Orellana. “We still don’t have an apartment and we still have nowhere to go, since most of the places they mentioned are out of our price range.”

Orellana is supported by Section 8 funding, which subsidizes her rent. She said she and her daughter are currently trying to move into a mobile home park on Fifth Street West.

“Kimberly Buchanan told me we would not be homeless,” said Orellana. “We have until February and if we still don’t have a place by then, Kimberly said we could ask for an extension. We also contacted Section 8 and they said they would help us too.”

James Hackett, manager for Sonoma County’s Housing Authority, which manages the Section 8 program, pointed out that the program has no ability to rent an apartment for anybody.

“This program allows people to rent in the private market. If they qualify and the apartment owners wish to participate, they can receive subsidies for their rent. But we are not a public-housing agency and all clients must look for their own apartments,” said Hackett.

Many of the residents of Casa De Sonoma said they had been given extensions on their notices; or they’d managed to find new places to live and their deposits had been returned. “It’s hard to keep going back and forth to see our grandchildren,” said Sharon Youngberg, who was able to find a place with her husband Gary in Vacaville. “But we did receive our full deposit back and (Sonoma Management) is trying to be nice.”

John Brians, who has lived in his Casa De Sonoma apartment for 20 years, said he found a new place within walking distance of his frame business on West Napa Street.

“I’ve gotten my deposit back and I guess I should consider myself lucky I was able to find a place. Still, I like where I am and it will be hard for me to leave,” said Brians. “(Sonoma Management) said I could pay rent day-to-day until I’m able to move out next month. The new place is smaller then my current home and I will have to get rid of some of my belongings, since I just don’t have the space.”

Jennifer Lee Knierim, who has lived at Casa De Sonoma since 2010, is also receiving Section 8 rental assistance. “It took me eight years to get Section 8 and I can’t afford an apartment without it,” said Knierim.

She said Sonoma Management agreed to let her stay in her apartment until the end of June, so her daughter could finish the school year with her classmates at Adele Harrison Middle School.

“I’m very appreciative to the management for letting me and my daughter stay here, so she can graduate middle school with her class,” said Knierim.

Knierim turned down an apartment choice across town because it was outside of the Adele Harrison boundaries.

“But I want her to be able to start high school at Sonoma Valley High next fall and I’m worried she won’t be able to if we can’t find a place to live in this area,” said Knierim.

Hackett said the rental housing market in the city of Sonoma was “tight” and any apartments offered should be taken, since the risk is a person could lose their Section 8 subsidies if they go too long without an apartment. “I’ve heard reports that the rental housing availability in the city of Sonoma is at 1 percent,” said Hackett. “That essentially means there are no available rental units in the area.”

Hackett said people receiving Section 8 were free to choose where they wanted to live. But the drawback to that is if they don’t find a place within a maximum of 180 days, they lose their Section 8 funding and have to reapply.